Greatest European Ladies Singles Skater Of All Time?

[Maofan7]

Following on from the North American version, who was the greatest European ladies singles skater of all time?

[Vash01]

If we consider medals alone, it's Sonia Henie (sp?) hands down, but the sport was very different back then. I have a hard enough time comparing Katarina with Irina. So it's very hard to pick just one from this entire list. I went with Irina only because I am thinking of the ones I actually saw skating. That is not to take anything away from Henie or other great European ladies.

[PashaFan]

I missed the Witt years because I was too young but I have watched them since on Youtube.
I was never a fan of Slutskaya when she was skated but have grown to like watching her programes since she retired.
Bonaly was dominating Europe when I first started watching skating.
I REALLY can't choose between these three as they are so different.
I think this is the first time I can't choose !
From a personal point of view Butyrskaya was my favourite.
Yes she was very inconsistent & did not have the natural ability of some but she always held my interest right through the years.
But I do understand that she was not dominant like others.
Help !. I can't choose !.

[icellist]

darn, i didn't see Denise Biellmann when I was voting and clicked other. But she's got my vote

[fenway2]

I voted Slutskaya for her jumps and spins, but I honestly don't know much about 6 of the ladies on this poll. If it was a poll for best competitor then I'd have picked Witt.

[os168]

Dame/Countessa Katerina Witt!!! No one does a European program like her.
She defines 'own it' on ice.

She owned the ice, owned carmen, owned the audience, owned the judges, and owned anyone who's ever compete against her in one way or the other.

[Sasha'sSpins]

Sonja Henie.

[Nomad]

Witt may have owned it all, but Bonaly had the best toe pushes in the business and she's not even on the list. (((Surya)))

[Rob]

darn, i didn't see Denise Biellmann when I was voting and clicked other. But she's got my vote

Same here so 2 move from other to Biellmann

[Sasha'sSpins]

Witt may have owned it all, but Bonaly had the best toe pushes in the business and she's not even on the list. (((Surya)))

Surya could jump and I loved watching her live in exhibition. But she could not skate. She could barely spin. She looked stiff and telegraphed her jumps. To borrow from a reporter commenting on Bonaly back in her day 'between the jumps she looks as if she's skating on double runners.'

Surya could not find an edge to save her life.

[victoriaheidi]

I picked Colledge because she was such an innovator.

[briancoogaert]

Sonja Henie, even if I've never seen her.
Carolina Kostner is not an option, too bad.

[RumbleFish]

Denise Biellmann would have won multiple world titles had she not retired from amateur competitions so early.

[Excidra]

Slutskaya

[love_skate2011]

Irina Slutskaya

[briancoogaert]

Denise Biellmann would have won multiple world titles had she not retired from amateur competitions so early.

I agree, and I wonder what it would have been against Katarina Witt.

[l'etoile]

I've hesitated between Witt and Irina but Irina gets my vote. Even without OGM, she's the most technically suberb, artistically spiritful skater out of all European ladies.

[DaiKozOda]

It's really difficult to chose between Witt and Slutskaya but I ended up voting for Irina.

[Nours]

As usual Surya is blacklisted. Only a five time winner in a row anyway. Let's say, there's quite a difference between what wou can see on you tube and what it was like when you were in the arena ; specially when time flew from there. I understand most of the people here don't like her skating but still, I can't see how she could be erased like this.
She even disapeared from the most decorated Euro Ladies tables in some of the most popular online skating places. Now the right history is : Slutskaya 7, Witt 6 and... Kostner 4. It's not like it was a surprise though.

[berthesghost]

Henie completely dominated her sport for the entire 20th century. Has more gold medals than god, completely revolutionized the sport so that not only did she have clones of herself challenging her but then went on to become the most popular fs to the general public of all time and inspired the us ladies to dominate the sport for an entire half century.

Kat dominated for her cycle and still to this day draws crowds and is a household name.

Irina.......um....... Um....... She...... Um..... Well....... She......um.......you see.....she ...um...well, she was fast.